BEND As the final days of last winter’s ski season wound to a close, Powdr Corp. — which runs the Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort — took the dramatic step of firing the majority of the resort’s top management: general manager Matt Janney, along with the directors of marketing, food and beverage services, and operations. The 2007-2008 season saw record snowfall and attendance at ski areas around Oregon — but not at Mt. Bachelor, which experienced a 7% drop in ticket sales.

The firings were intended to do one thing: revamp a resort plagued by maintenance, chairlift and community relations woes. But many of those problems pre-date Janney’s 10-month stint in the driver’s seat. Less than a month afater Janey was fired, Dave Rathbun — the previous director of marketing at Killington Resort — took over as GM. It’s unclear how much much can change before the first snowflakes start falling this winter.

Over the course of this summer, Powdr Corp. will dump $3.4 million into the resort, which is one of the major players in Central Oregon’s $500 million-a-year tourism economy. Repairing lifts that routinely shut down because of ice problems is at the top of the fix-it list. Repairing a disconnect between the resort and the community will be equally important, says Powdr Corp. spokesman Justin Yax.

“Any large corporation has a responsibility to the community. That has not been as prevalent as it should have been,” he says.

Whether involvement means corporate sponsorships or directors serving on civic boards, both of which Yax offered as possibilities, the company clearly hopes to have some good news to announce for the 2008-2009 season. It would be a birthday present of sorts: This winter is Mt. Bachelor’s 50th anniversary.

BY AMY MILSHTEIN

BY JASON E. KAPLAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The sweltering weather didn't keep the crowds away. Although the numbers were down slightly from last year, the Oregon Food Bank raised $850,636 to fight hunger. About 80,000 people attended despite temperatures in the upper 90s.

BY KIM MOORE | PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLAN

BY JASON E. KAPLAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

As part of our green workplaces story, Oregon Business checked out a community service project undertaken by Portland Youth Builders, a nonprofit alternative high school. In partnership with Whole Foods, PYB built garden boxes for a Home Forward housing site. Home Forward is a government agency that provides housing for low income residents and people with disabilities.

BY STUART WATSON

BY JON SHADEL

The technology industry is always in flux. And this rapid rate of change poses challenges to companies ranging from nimble startups aiming to make their mark to established organizations fighting to remain relevant. This is particularly true in the competitive digital display market, where an Oregon company has been at the forefront of nearly every major breakthrough in the last three decades.

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Robert S. Wiggins has joined Lane Powell as a Shareholder in the Corporate/M&A Practice Group. Wiggins is a well-known lawyer, entrepreneur, and investor with more than 30 years of experience leading and advising established and emerging companies in the Pacific Northwest. Wiggins will focus his practice on offering outside general counsel services, including general corporate and board representation, business transactions and capital events.